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ABNER D. THOMAS, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

COTTON-ELEVATOR AND COTTON-GIN FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,841, dated December 8, 1885.

Application filed May 152, 1885.

To (ZZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABNER D. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Little Book, in the county of Pulaski and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Cotton-Elevators and Cotton-Gin Feeders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to conveyers for cottong ns, and the object of my invention is to pro vlde mechanism for conveying and depositing uniform quantities of cotton or other material from a hopper to the floor above or to bins suitably located.

The invention will be hereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the claims.

Figurel is avertical section of my improved elevator. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the same, and Fig. 3 is a top view of the horizontal portion of the casing with a portion of the elevator-belt. Fig. 4 is a modification.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, A represents the vertical, and A the horizontal, portion of the elevator casing, and at the bottom of the casing A is placed the hopper A \Vithin the casingsA and A is located the endless elevator-belt B, which passes around the rollers B. At a short distance above the hopper A", and secured to or a part of the casing, are adjustable brackets O, which support rollers G for an endless belt, C used to regulate the amount of cotton carried up by the elevator-belt B. The main shaft D of the elevator-belt Bis located at the lower end of the casing A, and is provided with a sprocket, D. The shaft of the upper roller, 0, carrying the belt 0, is provided with a sprocket, D which receives its motion from the sprocket D through the sprocket-chain D and causes the adjacent surfaces of the elevator-belt l3 and of the belt 0 to travel in opposite directions, so that-when too much cotton or any large lump of the same is raised by the belt B the rake-teeth c of the belt 0 force it back or pick off portions of the cot ton, and thus cause a more uniform delivery into the horizontal casing A. The floor or bottom of said casing A is provided with a series of openings, E, the size of which is regulated by means of slides E, having theirinner end beveled or cut diagonally to regulate the delivery or to close the openings, when desired.

The object attained by having the ends of the slides out at an angle or diagonally across the path of the cotton, beginning with the smallest opening next to the hinged end cover, F, and increasing in size at each following opening, are to feed several gin stands or hoppers, or other elevators, at once with broad or spread-out currents of cotton (or other material) free from lumps, and thus prevent the clogging of the cottongin receiving it.

In Fig. 3 are shown three openings and sliding boards; but any desired number may be used, according to the number of bins or of gins in use.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the horizontal portion of the apron shown in Fig. l is dispensed with, as the elevator is simply intended to elevate cotton above a cotton-gin to be located adjacent to the hopper A The elevatonbelt B simply passes over and around the guide-pulleys B.

To regulate the amount of cotton elevated, there is mounted in adjust-able bearings a shaft, 0, carrying a revolving apron, c, to which motion is given in a direction contrary to the current of ascending cotton by means of the belt D (shown in dotted lines,) passing also around a pulley mounted upon the shaft D.

The elevator is not only in front of the gin G, but so far from it that the operator may pass between the elevator and the gin, the cotton passing over his head and forward to the breast of the gin.

The elevator is so constructed that it will stand without movable legs and be driven either from the gin or from any other convenient point.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim- 1. In acotton-elevator, the vertical casing A, elevator-belt B, its shafts provided with sprockets D and D chain D and rollers B and O, in combination with the belt G, provided with rake-teeth c, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a cotton-elevator, the combination of the horizontal casing A, provided with openings E in the bottom thereof, and the endless elevator-belt A, with sliding boards E, having their inner end cut diagonally, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the elevatoncasings A and A, provided with openings E, and sliding boards having their inner ends cut diagonally, rollers B, elevator-be1t B, with the belt 0 on the outer side thereof, and hopper, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a cotton-elevator, the combination of the vertical casing A, elevator-belt B, its shafts provided with sprockets, chain D and rollers B and G, with the revolving rake having teeth 0 revolvingin a direction contrary to the current of ascending cotton,substantially as and for the purpose described.

ABNER D. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

SAML. FLOWER, T. J. KEANE. 

